KERRY’S firepower came to the fore as they racked up 0-21 during the second half to torch another Cork bid to upset their neighbours at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
Having trailed by three points at the break, the wind at their backs was put to good use while the Kingdom kicked five two-pointers during a fruitful third quarter.
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Six weeks since Kerry prevailed in a thrilling provincial semi-final between the teams at the same venue, a man-of-the-match display from David Clifford helped to ensure a familiar outcome.
A crowd of 13,072 saw the Munster kingpins keep their status as the only unbeaten team left in the Championship intact.
Stiffer examinations of their All-Ireland credentials await, though they were certainly put to the test before the interval by a Cork side who were left to rue their failure to convert several gilt-edged goal chances.
Kerry gaffer Jack O’Connor said: “In the first half, Cork were the aggressors in that they were the team that were hunting and they were the team that were playing with aggression and intensity.
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“We were waiting around to see what they were going to bring. We had to change it in the second half and thankfully we did.”
As well as letting three goal opportunities go to waste in the first half, Cork gifted one to Kerry and Clifford was the beneficiary.
When Micheál Aodh Martin’s short kick-out to Brian O’Driscoll was intercepted by the two-time Footballer of the Year, he surged through and found the net with a neat drop-shot finish.
Facing a 1-4 to 0-2 deficit after 12 minutes, Cork gradually found their flow. Aided by two-pointers from Paul Walsh and Brian Hurley, as well as a brace of Colm O’Callaghan scores, they were 0-13 to 1-7 ahead at half-time.
And Kerry had Shane Ryan to thank for keeping them within touching distance. In the space of a minute, the goalkeeper made point-blank saves to thwart Mark Cronin and Matty Taylor.
Jason Foley also made an important intervention to scupper another Taylor goal opportunity later on.
O’Connor continued: “Cork went in three up. That could have been eight or nine up and then you’ve a real mountain to climb.”
At the other end, Martin made amends for his role in Kerry’s raising of the game’s only green flag by producing a fine save to keep out a Brian Ó Beaglaioch effort.
With Kerry depleted by injuries that forced Barry Dan O’Sullivan, Paudie Clifford and Paul Geaney all to make way by the change of ends, Cork may have smelled blood.
However, their hopes were soon harpooned by Kerry’s marquee forwards.
Rebels manager John Cleary lamented: “Beaten by 11 was maybe a small bit harsh on us but Kerry scored wonderful two-pointers particularly and that’s why they won the game.”
A trio of two-pointers from Seán O’Shea, plus two more from David Clifford, had the visitors leading by 1-21 to 0-16 entering the final quarter.
Clifford and Hurley had earlier been booked as a result of a fracas that occurred when tempers flared as the teams departed for the dressing rooms at half-time.
Walsh and Joe O’Connor were black-carded for their involvement in the incident. Kerry’s gaffer also saw yellow for remonstrating with referee Derek O’Mahoney when the teams reappeared.
Kingdom chief O’Connor added: “I don’t know was it a case of calming fellas down. It was a case of maybe waking fellas up, because I thought Cork were by far the more aggressive team in the first half.
“I don’t mean aggressive in a bad sense at all, I mean aggressive to the ball, the team that wanted it more.
“We basically challenged our lads at half-time – were they going to up their game and up their energy levels? We really needed to do that because in the first half we were quite lethargic.”
Cork, who registered just two points from play in the second half, had an opportunity to cut the gap to five with a 63rd-minute penalty after Ó Beaglaioch was deemed to have fouled O’Callaghan.
But yet again, Ryan could not be beaten. After saving Cronin’s first attempt, the Rathmore man also kept out his follow-up effort.
The Cork forward was then foiled for a third time by a block from Ó Beaglaioch.
An ultimately resounding win for Kerry – which leaves them a point clear of Meath at the top of Group 2 ahead of the meeting of the teams in a fortnight – was capped by Tom O’Sullivan and sub Tony Brosnan, who took their side’s second-half tally of two-pointers to seven.
Cork gaffer Cleary, whose side were beaten by the Royals seven days earlier, said: “We had a hard game last week and I know there during the week, it took until Wednesday or Thursday for fellas to really get over last week and the bumps and bruises.
“It was a tough, wet day above in Meath. To realise then from Tuesday onwards that you were facing favourites for the All-Ireland.
“You really needed to be at the peak of physical condition and I thought maybe we tired there in the second half.
“Against a team like Kerry, if you tire, they’ll punish you and that’s what they did when they were able to get a bit of space when we didn’t seem to have the legs there coming in the end.”
KERRY 1-28
CORK 0-20
KERRY: S Ryan; T O’Sullivan 0-2, 1tp, J Foley, D Casey; B Ó Beaglaioch, M Breen, G White; BD O’Sullivan, J O’Connor; G O’Sullivan 0-1, P Clifford 0-1, S O’Shea 0-9, 3f, 3tpf; D Clifford 1-8, 2f, 1tp, 1tpf, P Geaney 0-2, M Burns.
Subs: M O’Shea for BD O’Sullivan 21 mins, D Geaney 0-1 for P Clifford 31, K Spillane 0-2 for P Geaney h-t, T Brosnan 0-2, 1tp for Burns 59, T Morley for Ó Beaglaioch 66.
CORK: MA Martin; S Brady, S Meehan, D O’Mahony; B O’Driscoll, M Shanley, M Taylor; I Maguire, C O’Callaghan 0-2; S Walsh, P Walsh 0-3, 1tp, S McDonnell; M Cronin 0-6, 5f, B Hurley 0-7, 2f, 1tp, 1tpf, C Óg Jones 0-1.
Subs: S Powter for Meehan 43 mins, R Deane 0-1 for McDonnell 50, C O’Mahony for Hurley 60, L Fahy for Taylor 65, E McSweeney for P Walsh 66.
REFEREE: D O’Mahoney (Tipperary)
